Poole: Cal's Sonny Dykes will always be entertaining, but expect some snags along the way

BERKELEY -- There will be instances of sheer joy and moments of Old Blue despair, times when the Cal fan leaps from the edge of the seat and times when the hands instinctively cover the eyes.

First-year coach Sonny Dykes won't always be successful but he is going to serve up a highly entertaining season at Cal, and his debut on the sideline in Saturday night's 44-30 loss to No. 22 Northwestern was just the beginning.

A warning for Cal fans: Expect lots of curves and bumps along the way.

The most important thing a new coach can do immediately is unveil a team with a distinct identity. There should be something that tells the observer this is his team, his group, with his sense of preparation and purpose.

In Sonny's first opportunity to present a team with his signature, he did quite well -- especially considering not much is expected from his Golden Bears.

To be sure, Cal was as imperfect as it was promising, as one would expect when the quarterback is a true freshman and the defense is undergoing a change in scheme. The Golden Bears were by turns sizzling and fizzling.

But this Cal offense, orchestrated by Dykes, is capable of wearing out defenses. And the signs of a vital new era in coaching were evident.

Was there visible energy on the field at Memorial Stadium? Yes, in abundance, particularly on offense, where the Golden Bears ran about like caffeinated jackrabbits. They started fast, ground to a halt and then reawakened in the second half before eventually imploding.

Was there a sense of order? Well, not always. The defense missed a few assignments and plenty of tackles. The offense occasionally got reckless with the football.

But there is talent, and that's the basis for any chance to win.

Quarterback Jared Goff was unflappable and generally efficient. He was delightful in throwing for more than 400 yards but devastated by three second-half interceptions.

Running back Brendan Bigelow, underutilized under former coach Jeff Tedford, is scintillating. The receiving corps, led by wideout Chris Harper, not only has the ability to make difficult catches but also gain yards after the catch.

The difference in this game was not so much Northwestern's superiority but its ability to capitalize on a pair of Cal turnovers in the second half. Two interceptions by Wildcats linebacker Collin Ellis, both coming off tipped passes, were run back for touchdowns.

That Cal was so uneven and still managed to be highly competitive against a very good team provides strong reason for optimism for the Golden Bears, particularly on offense. Goff was good, by freshman standards, and he will get better. And his receivers, one would expect, should become more reliable.

The defense is, however, is a work in progress. A lot of work in need of immense progress, I might add. New coordinator Andy Buh is replacing the old 3-4 scheme with a 4-3. But that didn't seem to be an issue. Nor did effort; there was plenty of that.

The issue? The tackling was dreadful, the execution often sloppy.

Dykes' team at Louisiana Tech led the nation in offense but was one of the worst on defense. The showing in the opener implied the same dynamic could be at work, at least for now, here in Berkeley.

All week, the Golden Bears talked about the anticipation, about how excited they were finally to line up and play an actual game. They had spent nearly a month dancing with each other in training camp, and they looked forward to appearing on national TV against a ranked Wildcats team.

Cal surely looked to be in Dykes' grip, if not his thrall. The coach promised high-velocity football, and he delivered.

The Dykes era got off to a disappointing start insofar as the Golden Bears failed to achieve victory. That they got so close, however, suggests this team, with even slight improvement, has the potential to surprise those who predict eight and nine losses.

It won't be a factor in the Pac-12, but it can captivate local fans.

And even if the Golden Bears do no better than 4-8 or 3-9, it will point toward a bright future at Cal. There will be noise at Strawberry Canyon.

As long as the key figures remain healthy and the defense rises to decent, as it can, the first year of the Dykes era will be worth watching.